COLUMBIA, Mo. – Tuesday marks the opening day of Major League Baseball’s 2023 Postseason, with several former Tigers competing for the World Series championship as players or coaches. We’ll follow each of their postseason quests here throughout the month of October as the 2023 playoffs unfold.
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MLB Postseason Notebook
October 3
Each of the two American League Wild Card Series, which begin this afternoon, will feature former Tigers going head to head, as Pete Fairbanks (2013-15) and his Tampa Bay Rays will host Max Scherzer’s (2004-06) Texas Rangers in a best-of-three series. Fairbanks figures to be one of two active Mizzou alums on 2023 Postseason rosters (along with Baltimore’s Kyle Gibson), while Scherzer will be forced to watch this year’s playoffs due to injury. Fairbanks is coming off a 2023 regular season that saw the right-hander post a 2.58 ERA with 25 saves and a career-high 68 strikeouts in 45.1 innings out of the Rays’ bullpen. The Webster Groves product brings a 3.60 career postseason ERA into the series, which opens with a 2 p.m. (CT) contest this afternoon.
The AL’s other Wild Card Series will pit former Mizzou standouts Jayce Tingler (2000-03) and Hunter Mense (2004-06) against each other as members of the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays coaching staffs, respectively. Tingler, who piloted the San Diego Padres to a 2020 NL Division Series berth in his previous MLB Postseason trip, is in his second season as bench coach for the Twins. Mense is in his second season as assistant hitting coach with the Blue Jays. The Twins and Blue Jays begin their series this afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
On the National League side of the ledger, former Tiger hurler Michael Plassmeyer (2016-18) is a member of the Philadelphia Phillies 40-man big league roster. The Phillies will open their Wild Card Series with the Miami Marlins this evening at 7 p.m.
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SEASON TICKET REQUEST
Tiger fans can reserve their seats at Taylor Stadium for the 2024 baseball home slate by requesting season tickets with a $20 deposit. Pricing will be finalized when the full schedule is complete, and any money placed toward a deposit will be deducted from ticket invoices.
New season ticket requests are available by completing the online registration form.
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